Dynamics of orbiting multibody systems - A formulation with application

A relatively general Lagrangim formulation for studying the dynamics of an arbitrary spacecraft with interconnected flexible bodies is developcd accounting for transient system inertias, shift in the center of mass, shear deformations, rotary inertias and geometric nonlinearities. The computer implementation has been carried out through symbolic manipulation of the equations of motion. Versatility of the formulation is indicated through application to typical problems of contemporary interest.